Dr. John Tung's medical specialty is pediatric gastroenterology. Dr. Tung's patients gave him an average rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. Clinical interests for Dr. Tung include celiac disease, hepatitis C, and colon polyps. He is in-network for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Self-Pay/Uninsured, and Independence Blue Cross, as well as other insurance carriers. He attended medical school at King's College London School of Medicine. He trained at the University of Vermont/Fletcher Allen Health Care and The Hospital for Sick Children for residency. Dr. Tung's professional affiliations include Virtua Memorial Hospital and Cooper University Health Care.

Dr. Alan Mushnick is an adult gastroenterologist. Dr. Mushnick has received a 4.0 out of 5 star rating by his patients. Areas of expertise for Dr. Mushnick include celiac disease, hepatitis C, and liver tumor. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE. His residency was performed at Cooper University Hospital.

Dr. Michael Goldstein works as an adult gastroenterologist in Deptford, NJ, Voorhees, NJ, and Sewell, NJ. His clinical interests include celiac disease, hepatitis C, and liver tumor. Dr. Goldstein attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and then went on to complete his residency at Montefiore Medical Center. His average rating from his patients is 4.5 stars out of 5. Dr. Goldstein is an in-network provider for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE, as well as other insurance carriers.

Dr. Alex Celluzzi is a specialist in adult gastroenterology. He works in Voorhees, NJ, Deptford, NJ, and Sewell, NJ. His clinical interests include celiac disease, crohn's disease, and hepatitis C. He is in-network for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE, in addition to other insurance carriers. Dr. Celluzzi studied medicine at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Des Moines University, College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Celia Padron is a medical specialist in pediatric gastroenterology. Patients rated Dr. Padron highly, giving her an average of 4.0 stars out of 5. These areas are among her clinical interests: celiac disease, hepatitis C, and colon polyps. She is professionally affiliated with Virtua Memorial Hospital and Cooper University Health Care. She takes several insurance carriers, including Amerigroup, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Viant. Her residency was performed at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Dr. Andrew Alloy's specialty is adult gastroenterology. His areas of expertise include gastrointestinal bleeding, anemia, and celiac disease. Dr. Alloy is a graduate of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. His medical residency was performed at Kennedy Memorial Hospitals-University Medical Center, Stratford. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE.

Dr. Auguste Turnier, who practices in Voorhees, NJ, is a medical specialist in adult gastroenterology. Dr. Turnier's clinical interests include celiac disease, hepatitis C, and liver tumor. He honors Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, Aetna Medicare, and more. He obtained his medical school training at MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine and performed his residency at Cooper University Hospital.

Dr. Gary Levin is a specialist in adult gastroenterology. Clinical interests for Dr. Levin include celiac disease, hepatitis C, and colon polyps. He attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Levin's residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He has received a 4.0 out of 5 star rating by his patients. Dr. Levin honors Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE, as well as other insurance carriers.

Dr. Steven Liakos practices adult gastroenterology in Marlton, NJ, Atco, NJ, and Stratford, NJ. These areas are among his clinical interests: celiac disease, hepatitis C, and colon polyps. His education and training includes medical school at Des Moines University, College of Osteopathic Medicine and residency at Kennedy Memorial Hospitals-University Medical Center, Stratford. Patients gave Dr. Liakos an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. He is in-network for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE, as well as other insurance carriers.

Dr. Melville Ackerman is a medical specialist in adult gastroenterology. Clinical interests for Dr. Ackerman include celiac disease, hepatitis C, and colon polyps. Dr. Ackerman is affiliated with Cooper University Health Care. He honors several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and Aetna Medicare. Before completing his residency at Cooper University Hospital, Dr. Ackerman attended medical school at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Autonomous University of Guadalajara Faculty of Medicine.

Dr. Michael Kleinman works as a general practitioner, internist, and preventive medicine specialist. He graduated from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and then he performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Kleinman's clinical interests include warts, depression, and ankle sprain. He is rated 2.5 stars out of 5 by his patients. Dr. Kleinman is an in-network provider for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, and TRICARE, in addition to other insurance carriers. He is affiliated with Virtua Marlton Hospital.

Dr. Michael Packer is a physician who specializes in urology (urinary tract disease). Dr. Packer's areas of expertise include the following: kidney stones, enuresis (bed wetting), and hernia surgery. He is in-network for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, TRICARE, and QualCare, in addition to other insurance carriers. He obtained his medical school training at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons and performed his residency at Washington University Medical Center in St. Louis and Yale-New Haven Hospital. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Abington Health and Temple University Hospital (TUH). New patients are welcome to contact Dr. Packer's office for an appointment.

Dr. Mark Zaontz is a specialist in pediatric urology. His areas of expertise include phimosis, varicocele, and microsurgery. His hospital/clinic affiliations include Virtua Voorhees Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and Abington Health. Dr. Zaontz graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and then he performed his residency at Georgetown University Hospital and Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers. His patients gave him an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. He accepts United Healthcare Plans, United Healthcare HSA, and AmeriHealth, in addition to other insurance carriers. Dr. Zaontz has received professional recognition including the following: America's Top Physicians from Consumers Research Council of America; Top Rated Physicians in America; and Guide to the Top Doctors. Dr. Zaontz's practice is open to new patients.

Dr. Katherine Gargiulo specializes in general pediatrics. Her areas of expertise include the following: warts, celiac disease, and ankle sprain. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, and CIGNA Plans are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Gargiulo takes. She graduated from Penn State College of Medicine. She completed her residency training at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. Her hospital/clinic affiliations include Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Advocare Kressville Pediatrics.

A gastroenterologist is a doctor that specializes in the normal function and diseases of the digestive tract, which includes the stomach, intestines, spleen, pancreas, and liver. As a specialty, gastroenterology is the study of how food moves through the body, how nutrients are absorbed by the body, and how waste is removed by the body. A few of the conditions that a gastroenterologist might treat are:

gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD (stomach acid flows back into the throat and causes a burning sensation and tissue damage)

One unique trait that really sets gastroenterologists apart is their training and skill with endoscopy, a procedure where tiny flexible tubes are inserted into the body. These tubes are equipped with lights and cameras to provide the practitioner with a close, inside look at what is going on inside the patient’s body. Tools can even be inserted through the tubes to perform certain procedures, such as removing polyps or cancers, stretching open passageways that have narrowed, or applying lasers to stop bleeding.

Gastroenterologists do not perform surgery, but they do perform endoscopic procedures, as well as biopsies to determine if cancer is affecting the digestive tract. Although other physicians can use endoscopes, gastroenterologists devote a significant portion of their medical training and practice to endoscopy. They learn how and when to use endoscopy, the safest and most efficient methods to use, and how to interpret what they see through the endoscope.

Bariatric or weight-loss surgery is a surgical procedure performed to help significantly obese patients lose weight when more traditional methods, such as dieting and exercise, have not helped. Depending on the type, these surgeries change the gastrointestinal tract to limit how much food can be eaten and also change how food is absorbed by the body. Of the various bariatric surgeries available, the most common is gastric bypass.

By far the most common of the gastric bypass surgeries is called “Roux-en-Y.” During this surgery, part of the stomach and small intestine are detached from the gastrointestinal tract, in order to make the tract smaller. The surgeon divides the stomach into two parts. The working stomach, at the end of the esophagus, is now tiny - only the size of a walnut. This makes patients feel full after eating a small amount of food. Then the small intestine is also divided, and after bypassing a section of the small intestine to reduce food absorption, the intestine is attached to the small stomach pouch. The patient now has a working stomach and intestine like before, only much smaller.

Because gastric bypass is used to treat extreme obesity, it can reduce the risk of some of the problems associated with obesity. Gastric bypass can help treat or reduce the risk for such conditions as heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes. However, it is a major surgery and also carries risks itself. Any surgery can lead to infection, bleeding, or blood clots, and weight loss surgery in particular carries risks of leaks in the gastrointestinal system, malnutrition, bowel obstructions, and vomiting.

Typically patients are considered candidates for gastric bypass surgery if they have a BMI greater than 40, or sometimes if they have a BMI between 35 and 40 but are suffering from obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes. The outlook is generally good, with most patients losing between 50-75% of their excess weight in 1-2 years. However, patients must follow strict diet guidelines so that the stomach can heal, starting with no food at all, then followed by a liquid diet for some time. For many severely obese patients who have tried strict diets before without success, gastric bypass surgery is the tool that allows them to finally achieve their weight loss and health goals.

The digestive system is how our bodies convert food into energy. It is made up of the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Physicians who treat problems in a child’s digestive system, especially diseases of the liver, are called pediatric gastroenterologists.

Children are not just smaller versions of adult patients. Their digestive systems are different, and they may not be as able to describe their symptoms and concerns to a doctor. More importantly, a disease that interferes with the ability to obtain adequate nutrition can be much more serious for children, with their growing bodies, than it is for adults.

Pediatric gastroenterologists use tools such as biopsy (taking a small sample of tissue to examine under a microscope), endoscopy (examining the inside of the digestive tract using a thin, flexible tube), or colonoscopy (examining the lower intestines using a thin, flexible tube). Some of the disorders they encounter include:

Bleeding in the digestive tract

Liver disease and transplants

Hepatitis, an infection of the liver

Irritable bowel disease

Severe heartburn, called GERD

Pancreatitis

Gallstones

Lactose intolerance and severe food allergies

Severe, chronic, or unexplained abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea

Nutritional disorders, including failure to thrive (FTT) and malnutrition

Feeding disorders, including refusal of food, gagging, and trouble swallowing

With such a wide variety of disorders, treatments are also varied. Some include nutrition management plans, medications, or feeding tubes.

Pediatric gastroenterologists play an important role in helping kids comfortably eat and digest food so they can grow up healthy.

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What is Acid Reflux (GERD)?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, abbreviated GERD and sometimes called acid reflux, happens when food and acid inside the stomach leak back up into the bottom of the throat. This causes a burning sensation, heartburn, and a bad taste or smell in the mouth. GERD is different from occasional heartburn in that it happens regularly, at least twice a week over several weeks.

GERD happens because the muscle around the bottom of the throat weakens. This can be caused by a shift in the placement of the stomach, as happens with a hiatal hernia. Other risk factors include obesity, pregnancy, the use of certain medications, and smoking.

A person with GERD will notice the obvious signs of heartburn and an acid feeling in their throat several times a week. Other symptoms can include a persistent cough, nausea, asthma, or a sore throat that doesn’t go away. If GERD is left untreated, it can cause problems in the lining of the throat, including ulcers and even cancer.

There are simple lifestyle changes that can be made to combat acid reflux:

Lose weight, if needed.

Stop smoking.

Eat small meals and don’t lie down right after eating.

Stay away from acidic foods and foods known to cause reflux such as fried food and coffee.

If those lifestyle changes aren’t enough, there are medications that can help. Antacids, medications that decrease acid production in the stomach, medications to help the stomach empty faster, and antibiotics can all be useful. In extreme cases, surgery can be performed to tighten the bottom of the esophagus.